For an industry globally classified as hazardous, protections such as health insurance and a provident fund for workers are necessities. In Sivakasi, they remain elusive.
The industry forecasts exports are set to grow 16% in 2025-26, boosted by surplus domestic production and a drive to push into 26 underserved global markets with strong potential.
Indigenisation level will progressively increase up to 60 percent with key sub-assemblies, electronics and mechanical parts being manufactured locally.
It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection.
The contention of the Punjab Chief Secretary that stubble burning contributes only 8% to the N India pollution is so much hogwash. Viewing of openly available satellite pictures shows very clearly that the N India smog originates in Punjab.
He himself says polluter pays. So The farmers of Punjab and Haryana should pay. Apparently they cannot pay because they are heavily indebted. Then they should not grow rice. Persuading them is the bounden duty of the Hon (or dis-Hon?) Chief Secy. He would certainly be within his rights to ask for a budget to do a persuasion campaign and much bigger budget for turning the alternate crop into ethyl alcohol.
If any one has doubts I refer them to Shekhar Gupta’s analysis of the whole issue.
Given the stressed condition of most farmers, they may not be in a position to pick up the entire tab. In principle, Delhi should not mind contributing financially to the solution. Consider the purely economic – quite apart from the health – impact of such poor air quality.
Air, water, forests and wildlife must be treated as national assets and central government should be held accountable for their maintenance (or lack of it). India needs an environmental agency that can investigate and take corrective action on such issues, overriding any interference by the states. Biosphere and environment cannot continue to be a state subject because the slogan of ‘Swaach Bharat’ has been a vision from the top. Let the citizens of India get evidence of realisation of that vision.
In fact, cooperative federalism alone can solve such complex problems, sharing of river waters being another example. Nor does one subscribe to the theory that it is necessary for the same party to be in power at the Centre and the concerned states to secure optimal results. There should be one silo, operated once in five years, for winning an election, forming the government. Beyond that, this is a complex, diverse nation that requires different groups to work harmoniously together, with the Centre playing a coordinating role. 2. On this issue, the CMs of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi should be ad idem.
The contention of the Punjab Chief Secretary that stubble burning contributes only 8% to the N India pollution is so much hogwash. Viewing of openly available satellite pictures shows very clearly that the N India smog originates in Punjab.
He himself says polluter pays. So The farmers of Punjab and Haryana should pay. Apparently they cannot pay because they are heavily indebted. Then they should not grow rice. Persuading them is the bounden duty of the Hon (or dis-Hon?) Chief Secy. He would certainly be within his rights to ask for a budget to do a persuasion campaign and much bigger budget for turning the alternate crop into ethyl alcohol.
If any one has doubts I refer them to Shekhar Gupta’s analysis of the whole issue.
Sorry. I should not have said (dis-Hon?).
Given the stressed condition of most farmers, they may not be in a position to pick up the entire tab. In principle, Delhi should not mind contributing financially to the solution. Consider the purely economic – quite apart from the health – impact of such poor air quality.
Air, water, forests and wildlife must be treated as national assets and central government should be held accountable for their maintenance (or lack of it). India needs an environmental agency that can investigate and take corrective action on such issues, overriding any interference by the states. Biosphere and environment cannot continue to be a state subject because the slogan of ‘Swaach Bharat’ has been a vision from the top. Let the citizens of India get evidence of realisation of that vision.
In fact, cooperative federalism alone can solve such complex problems, sharing of river waters being another example. Nor does one subscribe to the theory that it is necessary for the same party to be in power at the Centre and the concerned states to secure optimal results. There should be one silo, operated once in five years, for winning an election, forming the government. Beyond that, this is a complex, diverse nation that requires different groups to work harmoniously together, with the Centre playing a coordinating role. 2. On this issue, the CMs of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi should be ad idem.